Freight Handler Lead

Roadrunner; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 22,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

PTO (Paid Time Off)

Training: forklift & hazmat

Job summary

Roadrunner is seeking a Freight Handler Lead to oversee the Charlotte dock operations, ensuring loads are moved, staged, and secured on time with minimal rehandling. You will own safety, quality, and throughput on-site, driving standard work and rapid issue resolution.

The role emphasizes leadership of a small team, enforcement of hazardous materials standards, and accountability for metrics such as damage rates and cycle time.

Qualifications

• Requires forklift operator qualification and hazmat training.
• Ability to read work orders and safety instructions.
• Experience in supervising or leading a small team preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead dock operations to move, stage, and secure freight with minimal rehandling.
• Enforce handling standards and ensure loads are safe and compliant; prevent incidents.
• Standardize dock workflows and drive continuous improvement; reduce touches and cycle time.
• Coach freight handlers on safe techniques and provide performance feedback.
• Track metrics like damage rates and cycle time; coordinate with supervisors and dispatch.

Skills

Forklift driver qualification

Hazardous Materials Training

Safety compliance

Supervision

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

This role is mission-critical to maintaining on-time, damage-free throughput across our Charlotte terminal. The Freight Handler Lead ensures freight moves predictably and safely from dock to staging, directly impacting transit times, customer satisfaction, and cost-to-serve.The business challenge is operational scale: higher density long-haul lanes, tighter schedules, and fewer touches demand disciplined execution, consistent handling standards, and real-time problem resolution. Success means measurable reductions in damage and rehandling, faster dock cycle times, and a reliable, accountable crew that executes to our Smart Network standards.You will translate strategic service commitments into repeatable dock-level systems, lead a small team to deliver flawless handling, and be the on-site owner of safety, quality, and throughput.What you’ll do1. Lead operational executionSupervise daily dock activities to ensure loads are moved, staged, and secured for transit with minimal rehandling.Own shift priorities, assign tasks, and verify completion against work orders and oral instructions.Escalate and resolve exceptions that threaten on-time departure or shipment integrity.2. Protect freight integrity and safetyEnforce handling standards and observe, correct, and report unsafe practices; own incident prevention.Ensure loads are stacked, banded, and secured to ride without damage; validate pallet and trailer integrity.Maintain hazardous materials compliance and verify forklift and hoist operations meet safety protocols.3. Improve systems and processesStandardize dock workflows, checklists, and handoffs to reduce touches and cycle time.Drive continuous improvement by documenting root causes for damage and implementing corrective actions.Coordinate with operations and maintenance to keep equipment and work areas operational and clean.4. Develop people and capabilityCoach freight handlers on safe, efficient techniques and cross-functional expectations.Monitor performance, provide feedback, and support training for forklift qualification and hazardous materials handling.Build a resilient shift team that can execute under limited structure and changing priorities.5. Influence business performanceTrack and report key metrics (damage rates, cycle time, load accuracy) and use data to prioritize actions.Partner with Operations Supervisor, dispatch, and OTR teams to align dock throughput with network schedules.Own shift-level accountability for customer-facing outcomes and operational cost drivers.What you bringExperience: High school diploma or GED; 1–3 months related experience or equivalent combination of education and hands-on experience; prior supervisory or lead experience preferred.Functional expertise: Proven ability to read work orders, interpret safety and operating instructions, and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced dock environment.Technical skills: Forklift driver qualification; Hazardous Material Training; basic arithmetic competency (add, subtract, multiply, divide with whole numbers, fractions, decimals).Leadership: Demonstrated judgment in solving problems with limited structure; ability to influence peers and coordinate cross-functionally.Preferred: Experience in LTL or long-haul freight operations; familiarity with custodial control practices and shipment visibility systems.How you operateYou think in systems, not tasks.You own outcomes, not activity.You move quickly without creating chaos.You challenge assumptions constructively and surface risks early.You communicate clearly and decisively with operators and supervisors.You prioritize safety and quality as non-negotiable business drivers.Compensation & SetupPay: $19.00 per hour.Incentives: Performance recognition programs and bonuses where applicable.Location: Onsite – Charlotte, NC.Benefits: Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), PTO, and training for forklift and hazardous materials certification.Physical Demands and Work EnvironmentThe physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Physical DemandsWhile performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hands, and talk and hear.The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and smell.The employee must regularly lift and or move up to 50 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 80 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.Specific vision abilities include color vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.Work EnvironmentWhile performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving vehicles, outside weather conditions and vibrations. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, high precarious places, and extreme temperatures.The noise level in the work area is usually moderate to high.The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principal functions of the position and are not intended to be all inclusive.The position and any of the requirements listed above are subject to change at any time according to the changing needs of the company.* The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principal functions of the position and are not intended to be all inclusive. The position and any of the requirements listed above are subject to change at any time according to the changing needs of the company.* Roadrunner is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.* We will not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters or recruiting agencies. Thank you!#LI-OnsiteCharlotte, NCAbout RoadrunnerRoadrunner is for ambitious, smart people who excel at execution over talking about it, and who would rather invent the next standard in freight than accept the status quo.We are looking for the Best of the Best. Action driven leaders who want to be part of real change and help design the future of LTL in the U.S. This is a place where high performers can grow, influence outcomes, and make an impact while working directly with executives and smart people from across industries.We bring a winner mindset. We take ownership, raise the bar, and measure ourselves by results. We Run Safe. We Run Smart. We Run Together. These principles create an environment of high standards, clear ownership, and direct collaboration. We trust data over intuition, move with urgency, and hold each other accountable because winning requires it.Roadrunner exists to prove that LTL can be better than the industry has settled for. To be the best means we need to think bigger, look outside the box, and question every assumption: too many handoffs, limited visibility, and the quiet belief that “this is just how it works.” We rejected that story. We built a proprietary Smart Network for direct, long haul, metro to metro service that delivers fewer touches, faster transit, real time visibility, and genuine accountability. We are the most tech forward company in LTL, and we are not finished widening the gap.The foundation is already strong. Recognized as one of Built In Chicago’s Best Large Places to Work. Earning top marks for improvement, quality, and service. The real opportunity is still ahead: helping invent what comes next.If you want to be evaluated among the Best of the Best and help set the new standard in LTL, we should talk.